Albanian parties unlikely in northern Mitrovica, Serbian List unafforded even by community parties

But, while political parties will compete for first place in Podujevo and this race is thought to be narrow, it seems less trouble and dilemma about the winners will be in northern Mitrovica.

There, according to the Central Election Commission for the November 29th elections, only 4 applications for certificate of candidates for local elections have been accepted.

In addition to the Serbian List, an independent candidate, the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Vetevendosje Movement will compete for northern Mitrovica.

But why was the Serbian List not challenged by any other Serbian political subject, and how likely are Albanian political parties to challenge the Serbian List in North Mitrovica?

According to analyst Jeton Brajshori, the power of the Serbian List in the north lies behind strong support from Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, and since they have a safe place in the Kosovo Assembly and the government.

The November 29th <x0th elections in northern Mitrovica will be a challenge to our own country. The Serbian list, which is controlled and financed by Vuciqi's power, aims to also receive a <x1-> light” mandate in this municipality. It must be that in Serbia's recent elections, the Serb community from Northern Mitrovica has voted by nearly 90 per cent for Vuciqi's party. As our Constitution has reserved seats for them in the government, we are aware from previous experiences that the Serbian List does not decide at all, but decides Belgrade, which through this list constantly threatens every government in power”, Brajshori said.

According to Brajshori, the Serbian List has used official Belgrade's support to politically eliminate potential opponents.

He has also indicated that any other candidate in northern Kosovo who does not come from the Serb List, from the Serb community there, is considered unworthy, and therefore none of the other Serb parties challenge this subject.

All other Serbian parties that have been for real co-operation with our governments have been declared traitors, lynching and attacking their leaders. (Nenad Rassic, Slobodan Petrovic). Former mayor of this municipality, now deputy prime minister, Goran Rakiq has great influence in that area and has eliminated his opponents politically, this with permanent help from Vuciq, and that is why only the Serbian List has a candidate for chairman, because any other candidate would be considered by the Serb community there as unworthy and has not endangered anyone to confront them, namely, in elections where the winner is known only”, he said further.

In terms of the Albanian parties' chances of challenging the Serbian List in the north, Brajshori says they are minimal. According to him, the ideal solution would be for all Albanian parties to join a candidate.

He further adds that positive is the fact that Albanian parties are not succumbing to pressure and are rightly seeking to factor politically in that part of Kosovo.

“The ethnic cleansing that has occurred in the north since the post-war and non-seriousness of all governments in power to deal with that part has weakened many of the Albanian political factor. The ideal solution would be for all Albanian parties to unite and come up with a single candidate where they would most seriously challenge the Serbian List in terms of the mayor. So each party with its candidate is likely to challenge the Serbian List is almost zero. The only positive thing is that they have not surrendered in the face of all that pressure from all sides and rightly seek to factor politically in their municipality”, Brajshori said at the end.

The last elections in northern Mitrovica had won the Serbian List with 95.2 per cent, until The PDK had received 3.1 percent and 1.6 percent VV.